John McGinn steps up yet again for Aston Villa after what Unai Emery said
John McGinn stepped up when Aston Villa needed him most against Fulham as Unai Emery gushed over his display in the absence of the injured Boubacar Kamara.
The Villa captain has been asked to play in a more advanced role so far this season, but the crushing injury blow to Kamara saw him forced back into a deep position, which he took to like a duck to water.
McGinn, of course, is no stranger to playing a deeper midfield role, but it was the level to which he performed which drew high praise from his boss following the 2-1 win at Craven Cottage.
As shared by The Athletic journalist Jacob Tanswell, Emery shared after the game: “I think we deserved to win in the end. The most important injury was Boubacar Kamara and we created this victory for him.
“John McGinn is versatile playing as a midfielder today. His commitment is high, high. When we needed his leadership, we got it.”
John McGinn was as crucial as ever for Aston Villa
Just when his side needed him, McGinn proved yet again he will step up. Concerns had emerged following Kamara’s injury that nobody in this squad could fill the hole, although the captain proved doubters wrong.
He slotted seamlessly into the more defensive role in midfield, making three tackles and one clearance, as well as winning seven of his 11 attempted ground duels to break up play and prevent Fulham from picking up any momentum. [Sofascore]
The captain also performed in possession, completing a 90 per cent passing accuracy as he looked to keep things simple and move the ball in the middle with 48 touches of the ball, allowing Douglas Luiz to perform his more attacking duties.
Those passing and possession stats, as well as drawing four fouls, allowed Villa to retain control of the game despite coming under pressure.
Luiz, meanwhile, was allowed to step up his performance with four key passes, a 100 per cent dribble success rate, three crosses and a 100 per cent aerial duel success rate, largely thanks to the presence of McGinn. [Sofascore]
When you need your captain to stand up and be counted, McGinn did just that in London.
In other Aston Villa news, another Villa star thrived v Fulham despite Danny Murphy’s “strange” verdict.
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